Midnight Reflections
by luvcsimiami
Summary: What happened when E/C went home after episode 724? This is speculation on what may have taken place. It’s also more explanation on the surprise ending in my first E/C story story “We’ll Talk Later”. Please read, enjoy and review. E/C belong to CBS
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Silence. Quiet. A stillness in the air signified the lateness of the hour. The secluded neighborhood had settled down for the evening and darkness had traveled on swift wings to blanket everything in shadow. It was actually comforting to the man standing in the window of his balcony watching the changing kaleidoscope that was Miami. The city lights that made up the Miami skyline seemed as if they were miles away when in reality it was only a fifteen minute car ride from his new condo. While the darkness was thick there were just enough pinpoints of lights from the skyline that he could make out the shapes of the bushes and flowers that made up the nicely manicured lawn spread out before him.

Eric knew he should have been enjoying the beauty of the night but the hectic chaos that were his thoughts wouldn't allow him to relax. The decisions he had to make would be life changing and they were making sleep impossible. He had more than himself to consider and he couldn't miss the irony that at the time that things had finally started to go right in his life one wrong move could change all of that, and sentence him to hell on earth all over again.

_I know what I'm doing. I know what I'm doing. It's the right thing. There's no other way._

He had been saying the same thing to himself all day. It was a constant refrain that had become his new mantra. Trying to convince himself that his course of action was the only way to go, he refused to listen to his gut which told him there had to be another way.

But there was no other way. As much as he hated to acknowledge it he had started all of this with his probing into his family history and their past. It had nearly gotten him killed. It had nearly gotten Calleigh and Ryan killed. There had been so many near misses that Eric knew it was only a matter of time before one of them wouldn't be fortunate enough to escape. That reason alone convinced him that what he was doing was right. If he tried hard enough he could convince himself it was the only reason. The fact that if it weren't for Alexander Sharova he would be somewhere in Cuba didn't bear contemplating. Unfortunately, his father needed his help and he had been given the distinct impression it was his obligation to return the favor.

Eric knew how the mob worked, he had spent enough time digging and searching to understand exactly what he was dealing with, what they were all dealing with. Somehow he had become more entangled than he had ever intended, and it had become so clear to him why his mother had kept the secret to herself all these years. Understanding the danger and acknowledging that he had bought this down on his own head didn't change the fact that there was a part of him that was relieved. At least now he knew the truth. That truth that was forcing him to make difficult choices, choices that had refused to let him sleep and had driven him from Calleigh's side. If there was symbolism in that somewhere he didn't want to know what it was. He knew that what he was doing could very well affect the one thing in his life that had finally gone right for him. He had already lied to her because of it and it had eaten at him until he took the first opportunity to tell her the truth. The fact that his first instinct had been to lie wasn't exactly something he wanted to dwell on. Apparently Calleigh didn't want to dwell on it either as she had said nothing about it to him when he had finally gotten home that evening. They had gone about their normal routine and then went to bed early. An hour later  
Calleigh had drifted off to sleep and while he had definitely been relaxed sleep still eluded him. Being with Calleigh had been even more than he could imagine and his thoughts began to churn when he realized he could lose her love, her respect and her trust. He could lose it all. That worry had finally driven him from the bed and out into the night to remake a decision he thought he had already made.

Stretching both his hands out to grip the wrought iron rail he was leaning against, Eric hung his head and wondered for the first time in his life if what he had been doing all these years was worth it. His job had given him a lot, but it had cost him so much more. He couldn't help but ask himself how many more years he would have to live through agony before he could finally be happy.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Sighing softly the lone occupant in the bed stretched languidly and then turned to snuggle closer to the warm, smooth chest she had become accustomed to laying her head upon during the night. Smoothing her hand over a cool sheet instead of the warm body she had expected the sigh turned into a muffled groan. Rising up on her elbow Calleigh looked at the clock on the night stand and sighed again when she realized it was only 2 a.m. in the morning. Throwing back the covers she slipped quietly from the bed and grabbed the first garment laying across the chair she passed on her way to the bedroom door. Slipping her arms into what turned out to be one of Eric's red and white print button down shirts, she pulled her hair out from underneath the collar and paused in the doorway for a few seconds until her eyes adjusted to the dark.

Eric had moved into a new condo a few weeks after the Russian mob's first assassination attempt upon him. They rarely stayed here because they knew they were being watched, but Eric had worked a double shift and his place was much closer than hers so she had opted to stay with him tonight. She was still getting used to the layout of the place but she knew it well enough to navigate her way down the hall without having to turn on any lights. Trailing her fingertips along the smoothness of the wall she walked quietly down the hallway towards the main room. Upon reaching her destination she took the three steps down into the living room and paused by the sofa when she noticed the sheers hanging from the patio doors billowing softly into the room from the soft breeze blowing from the open doorway.

Eric's hands and arms were outstretched and gripping the iron railing as he stared out into the darkness. Taking a moment to admire the view, Calleigh couldn't help but think whoever coined the phrase tall, dark and handsome must have had Eric Delko in mind.

He had taken the time to slip on a pair of jeans but from the waist up he was beautifully bare. Even from this distance the faint light from the Miami skyline allowed her to make out his glowing olive skin and the rippling well-defined muscles that were displayed in his arms and back due to the taut grip he had on the railing. While she would have gladly stood there in the shadows to watch him all night they both needed sleep. She was surprised he didn't drop from sheer exhaustion as it was. Eric had become a bit of an insomniac since he had starting working double shifts to take care of the payments for his legal settlement with Carmen Henney. The Russian mob tracking him had only made his sleeping habits worse. He rarely slept well as it was but she thought things had been getting better. This was the first time in a while that she had awakened in the night to find that he wasn't in bed next to her. Of course if his stance was any indication, his lack of sleep tonight had nothing to do with insomnia. She could tell by his body language that he wasn't simply enjoying the night air in an effort to relax himself enough to sleep. Something was bothering him and she could probably guess what it was. Since they were both awake Calleigh figured there was no time like the present to discuss it.

Eric was used to carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders and sometimes that responsibility dictated he take the wrong action. She knew him well enough to know that's what was going on now. He hadn't discussed it with her and he had to learn his martyrdom was no longer necessary. The decisions that he made affected everyone close to him, especially the ones who loved him. They had a right to know what he was deciding on their behalf.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

He felt her presence before he saw her. She ran her hands along his back and placed a light kiss there before ducking under his left arm so that she could lean her back against his chest. His arms automatically left the railing to wrap around her waist in order to pull her closer to him. She rested her hands on top of his and they stood together quietly staring out at the shadows.

"Did you get any sleep at all?"

"Not really." Eric answered her as he placed a soft kiss in her hair. "What woke you up?"

"I reached out for my favorite pillow and blanket and realized he was missing." Calliegh quipped lightly.

"That's cute." Eric told her, laughing softly as he shook his head. "Sorry about that."

"No problem, I managed to track them down."

Eric laughed again and the two of them stood staring out at the night for a while before his deep quiet voice broke the silence.

"Calliegh, I owe you an apology. I shouldn't have lied to you earlier."

"No you shouldn't have." She agreed with him. "But I understand why when you told me who it was."

"Still, it's not an excuse. I'm sorry."

"It's ok." Calleigh said. "Maybe I shouldn't have asked."

Turning in his embrace Calleigh gave him a long searching look before she made up her mind to find out what was really going on. He had brought it up so at least they were making some progress.

"I need to say something, ok?"

Eric saw that look in her eyes and he was reminded of the conversation they had when she had taken the heat for him on the notes he had dropped at the crime scene. She had taken him to task about not talking about his injury and while the discussion had been painful it had cleared the air between them. He guessed the air needing clearing again.

He knew what was coming and he knew he wasn't going to like it but he steeled himself to hear it nonetheless. Dropping his arms from her waist he stepped away from her to pull out one of the cushioned patio chairs near the door and motioned for her to take a seat. When she was settled, he took the chair next to her and turned slightly so he could face her.

"Ok." He said. "I'm listening."

"Alright, look. I know that this whole thing with finding out about your real father has been difficult. I also realize that you're still trying to come to terms with everything that's happened, but that doesn't mean you have to put yourself at risk for someone you barely know. And I know you're planning something, something that you're not telling me."

"Calleigh, it isn't even about that." Eric started.

"Then what is it about?" Calleigh said in frustration. "You don't owe him anything."

"Yes, I do owe him." Eric countered in a driven undertone. "I wouldn't still be in this country if it weren't for him."

"I think you're giving him too much credit." Calleigh said softly. "He wouldn't have come forward if Horatio hadn't convinced him to. Besides you didn't need him to stay in this country and you know that."

Knowing she was referring to the two of them he looked away from her for a moment as he realized just how true that statement was. She had told him she was going to marry him but his Dad had stepped in. While immigration had accepted that he was a US citizen the close call he had experienced had made him wary. INS still had a file on him and as far as he knew he could still be deported at any time.

Horatio and Calleigh hadn't tested for DNA since his mother and Sharova had all but confirmed that he was a product of their affair or whatever it had been. Eric hadn't wanted to take the chance that there was a loophole when he had found out about the judge's decision, and at dinner on the night of his release from immigration he had asked Calleigh if she was serious about what she had told him earlier. She had told him she was.

It was the first time Calleigh had been so candid about her feelings and how she had felt about the prospect of losing him. They had shelved the discussion for later and Eric started researching everything he could on immigration laws. Calleigh had enlisted her father's help on some of the information they had found, without telling the older man why she needed to know. It turned out they couldn't find any guarantees and there had been a lot of loopholes if a determined lawyer wanted to use them.

Eric figured the only reason he was still in the country was because Derek Powell had gone to bat for him. The irony of the situation was that even if he hadn't been suspicious about who his biological father was, he would have found out sooner or later that the man that he thought was his father all of his life really hadn't been if Derek had decided to use the information in court. Eric had been grateful all of it hadn't come out in the middle of a trial as he would have been as surprised as everyone else, as well as, deported before he could say his last name.

With no guarantees that the decision wouldn't be revoked or reconsidered at any given moment he and Calleigh both knew there was only one surefire way to guarantee that he couldn't be sent anywhere. When they started talking about marriage as a solution, the discussion had felt surreal. It definitely wasn't the way he had imagined the discussion to go. He also hadn't expected the conversation to come up quite that soon. Of course, he wasn't complaining about the turn of the events either, but he wanted Calleigh to be sure about what she was doing.

He had run down the list of the advantages of the two of them making it permanent. They had a seven year history, she knew what she needed to know about him and he her, they had a solid friendship and although they had only been together a month their relationship could only get better. He knew what he wanted and Calleigh had simply said she couldn't imagine her life without him and she would do whatever it took to keep him with her. It had been a repeat of his words to her after they had finally found her when she had been abducted.

Once the decision had been made they had decided not to say anything to anyone. They went to a county outside of the Miami district and had the ceremony performed by a justice of the peace. It hadn't been what he had imagined for his or his bride's wedding, but at that moment all he cared about was Calleigh. They both figured they could have the real thing when the two of them decided to let everyone else in on the secret. The ceremony was quick and to the point with the justice's wife standing as a witness. They both had rings but they didn't wear them for obvious reasons. They had been married for a month now and there were still so many things to work out.

None of their co-workers knew about it. Horatio didn't even know, and while Ryan had an idea that something was going on he really didn't know the half of it. They tried to be so careful at work so that their professionalism couldn't be called in to question. Unfortunately, this mess with his father was seeping into their professional lives and what was personal for him was becoming a professional conflict of interest for them. That thought brought him full circle to why they were here in this moment.

He knew exactly what Calleigh was getting at earlier. She was right in that he wasn't telling her everything and he couldn't. It would put her at too much risk. If something went wrong and he had to take the fall he didn't want it to reflect on her. No matter how he sliced it the situation was tenuous at best, but he couldn't, wouldn't walk away from what he had to do. Somehow he had to make her understand that.

"Calleigh, I'm sorry." Eric finally said aloud. "I know what you and Horatio did, but it doesn't change the fact that Sharova finally did the right thing. I can't just ignore that. Whether I like it or not he's family."

Calleigh closed her eyes in frustration. It was times like these that she wanted to strangle Eric. He could be so all-fired stubborn, and this time he was purposely missing her point. Just because someone carries the same blood doesn't make them trustworthy even if they are family. Unfortunately, she couldn't take issue with his attitude when their fearless leader was the same way. These two men took responsibility to a whole new level. One ounce of DNA linking someone to them was all they needed to start trying to alter the universe to make that person know they had _family._

It was at times the most noble and the most frustrating thing about them. She knew she had a somewhat cynical viewpoint because she didn't have the greatest home life with her warring parents. That was one of the reasons why she had consistently and foolishly chose the wrong man every single time. The true love relationship between a man and a woman wasn't something she witnessed when she was growing up. Her relationships had always been a bit off kilter and somehow she always managed to end up with a man who always had his own interests at heart…until she had finally allowed herself to see Eric as he really was. Knowing that he would never intentionally hurt her and that he truly loved her was all she needed to recognize the real thing when it came along. She had made a slight detour with Jake, but if anything that detour had solidified what she had already known about Eric and that's why they were together now. As far as she was concerned marrying him had been a bonus and now he was risking everything…his life…their life, for a man who wouldn't even acknowledge his existence until he had been forced to do so. Somehow she had to make him see reason.

"Eric, Sharova put a hit out on you and I know it's before he thought you were his son but the point is he's extremely dangerous. I don't trust him or his intentions."

"You don't even know him."

"Neither do you." Calliegh shot back. "Eric, look I can't pretend to know what you're feeling. I just don't want you to get hurt. You've been through so much already. _We've_ been through so much. Why would you put yourself through more by getting more deeply involved with this man than you need to?"

"I don't know, Calleigh." Eric answered. "I just can't ignore him, but I'm not going to drag you into it."

"Eric, it's me. I'm your _wife_!" Calleigh stressed quietly. "I'm already dragged into it."

Suddenly standing to her feet, Calleigh pushed back the chair to walk back over to stare

up at the stars clearly illuminated in the night sky as she tried to calm the apprehension that was beginning to grow the more she saw the determination in Eric to walk down a path she feared she wouldn't be able to bring him back from.

Firm hands gripped her forearms and Eric turned her to face him. Placing her hands on his chest she looked up into his eyes and saw the regret and the turmoil that raged within him at not being able to reassure her.

"Calleigh, I know what I'm doing."

"Ok." Calleigh sighed in defeat and finally capitulated when she realized they weren't getting anywhere. "Eric, please, please be careful. I don't want to lose you."

"I can't imagine my life without you." He told her for the second time since they had been together. She couldn't help but wonder if it was some sort of foreshadowing. "I'm not going anywhere."

Calleigh searched his eyes and she saw the conviction and the faith he had in his own words. Refusing to think what the alternative meant if he were wrong she put her arms around his neck and pulled him to her in a tight embrace. Eric held her just as tightly and they held on to each other for what seemed hours but was really only a few minutes. As they released one another, Eric took her hand and led her back into the living room where he closed and locked the patio doors before the two of them walked slowly back into their bedroom. Slipping in underneath the covers Eric pulled her back into his embrace and Calleigh snuggled close, laying her head on his chest and silently wondering if nights like this for them were numbered. She would do everything she could to protect him and she only hoped that when it was all over they would survive the turmoil to come.

The End.


End file.
